Senior Notes

By Audrey Larkin; Interim Senior Program Coordinator

Call: 617-265-5300 Ext. 13

Cara Club

At Cara Club on Monday we enjoyed a plentiful supply of freshly baked cakes, breads and cookies. We were delighted to welcome John Maguire who gave a very interesting and engaging presentation on Irish and American history and answered questions from several members of the group. John will be attending Café Eireann on Wednesday November 12 to give the presentation there. A very big thank you to John for his time and effort in putting together the presentation for the group.

Volunteer, Kevin O’Sullivan was taken by surprise when we presented him with a delicious birthday cake and a lovely gift with everybody then joining in singing ‘Happy Birthday’. We then had more cake (well you can never have too much cake!!).

Annual Banquet 2014

We hope to see you all at our Annual Fundraising Banquet which will take place on November 15 at 6:30PM in Florian Hall in Dorchester. Tickets are $100 and tables of 10 are available. Special Guest on the night is Mickey Harte, manager of the County Tyrone Gaelic Football team. We will also be honoring Eugene O’Flaherty with the first ever Community Award. Call the Irish Pastoral Centre to reserve your ticket/table on 617-265-5300.

Monthly Mass

The monthly Mass and luncheon will be held on Thursday, November 13th at the ICCNE with Fr. Dominic Meehan from 12 noon until 3PM. $12 donation is suggested. Music on the day will be provided by Fintan Stanley. We have a limited number of spaces to please RSVP to 855-479-2472.

Café Eireann

We had a very lively group at Café Eireann on Wednesday where we enjoyed our weekly fare of freshly baked breads and cookies. Bryan Perkins, of FriendshipWorks, gave a very informative presentation. The program matches volunteers with elders to help with various tasks. Our thanks to him and Lois from FriendshipWorks for attending the group.

FriendshipWorks will be at Cara Club on Monday November 10.

Immigration News

By Kieran C. O’ Sullivan; Immigration Counselor

Call: 617-265-5300 Ext. 16

Immigration Reform post election: What happens now?

In light of the election results it remains to be seen what happens with the President Obama’s promise to introduce relief for the undocumented by executive action. I have already been in touch with Geri Garvey, the Irish Apostolate Administrator in our Washington DC office and we will be monitoring developments in Washington DC. Advocacy groups will be participating in conference calls in the days ahead, and we will publish any relevant information here. Readers are also invited to send us current addresses to receive our newsletters. We will have up to date news on any immigration initiatives introduced in Congress or introduced by President Obama as executive orders.

Hotline calls

One of my callers this week was a gentleman who was visiting Boston but has a family petition pending. He will be leaving the U.S. within the constraints of his visa and at some future point will be having an interview for legal permanent residency status in the U.S. Embassy in Dublin. He had received a notice from the National Visa Center demanding a fee and a completed affidavit of support. His complication was that the family petition sponsor had not filed U.S. tax returns to support the affidavit.

Affidavit of Support

An affidavit of support is a guarantee to the U.S. government that a green card applicant will not become a “public charge.” The affidavit can be offered by the green card sponsor or someone who could provide financial assistance to the applicant in the event that such help would be necessary. The person offering the affidavit would have to demonstrate his or her financial health in a number of ways, including tax returns and bank statements.

Prior to the enactment of the new laws, the I-864 affidavits were a common, but not an absolutely necessary, part of the green card process. Would-be immigrants who could show an ability to look after themselves after arrival in the U.S. – for instance, through a job offer or statements attesting to financial independence – were not obliged to provide an affidavit of support.

These I-864 affidavits of support are presently legally binding for life, unless the beneficiary naturalizes (becomes a U.S. citizen), works for ten years in the U.S., or abandons his or her green card. The sponsor who signs the affidavit of support must be aware that the document is a legally binding contract. If the person who signed the affidavit fails to abide by the agreement, court proceedings can be initiated. By executing this form, the sponsor is agreeing to support the immigrant and any spouse and/or children immigrating with him or her, and to reimburse any government agency or private entity that provides sponsored immigrants Federal, State, or local means-tested public benefits.

All family-based green card applications must now include an I-864 affidavit of support.

We pointed out to this gentleman that he could have his U.S. citizen son co-sponsor on the affidavit of support because his son made above the required income guidelines.

Legal Clinic

We remind readers who are about to file any applications or petitions with the USCIS that they should seek legal advice before doing so. One of our attendees at this week’s clinic had some minor arrest in Ireland as a youth, and this will now have to be addressed before he files papers with the USCIS. We are awaiting related paperwork from Ireland before attorneys consider giving him the go ahead to file his application for legal permanent residency in the U.S.

We had a good clinic at The Banshee on Tuesday night last. Two of those present were about to marry U.S. citizens so we will be helping them in the months ahead on the adjustment of status paperwork. Our next clinic will be on Tuesday Dec. 2nd at the Banshee in Dorchester beginning at 6:30 PM.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice. Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions. For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.

Gospel

By Sr. Marguerite Kelly; Pastoral Associate

617-265-5300 Ext. 10

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

Where does God dwell? Paul’s question shatters the assumptions of his hearers. Everyone knows that God dwells primary in the sacred temples constructed for worship. For the Jews this meant the temple in Jerusalem. Not so, says Paul to the Corinthians. God dwells not primarily in buildings but in human beings. The primary dwelling place of god on earth is no longer a brick and mortar building but a community of believers gathered in Jesus’ name. Astounding news! Further Paul points out that by God’s grace he was chosen to be the master builder and to lay the foundation of this building by preaching Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ is the foundation of the building. The community of believers through faith and baptism now become part of the building and so share in Jesus’ holiness. Yes, believers become the temple of God on earth!